To say that a few drastic things have happened to me would be a bit of an understatement.

Incurable genetic illness that attacked my family, a serious road traffic accident that left me with traumatic brain injury and broken neck, a near-death scrape with sepsis and recently finding out that my mum was adopted.

Pretty extreme indeed!

These life experiences all had a profound effect on me, at different points in my life. They affected my mental health, my emotional wellbeing, my empathy for others, my behaviour and my decision making.

I did things I’m not proud of that I have great remorse for. Not regret though, because regret keeps you trapped in the past and stops you from moving forward.

After reaching a point where I was barely functioning, and after the upteenth visit to my GP, I realised that the solution to my problems lay within me and weren’t going to fixed by taking prescribed medication.

I recognised that the only way out was to work on me, to confront the things that were causing me such distress and tackle them head on.

This was how I discovered the power of the breath and cold water exposure. Regular practice of both breathwork and exposure to cold water has enabled me to take back control of me. To take back control of my mind, rather than my mind controlling me, and return to being a functioning human again.

If you’re willing to face uncomfortable situations, you can improve your quality of life. I’m a case study for this.